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Heraclius (or Herakleios) reigned 610-642.

 

I know the years of Heraclius` reign, but I asked the year when the greek language was made an official language of the Empire.

 

It was /an/ official language under the Roman Empire. I suppose the question would be when it became /the only/ official language. Others may know better than me, but I wonder whether it is possible to give a date at all. I looked in L R Palmer's /The Greek language/ and in R. Browning's /Medieval and Modern Greek/. No answer to your question, but I see that Browning highlights (as I did above) the loss of the East to Islamic conquest, which made the Empire more predominantly Greek-speaking than it was before; thus Browning (like Aphrodite above) makes the reign of Heraclius a turning point.

 

We can use the concept of official language, but I can't think what the ancient Latin or Greek for 'official language' would have been. In my own book /Language in Danger/ I highlighted the French Ordinance of Villers-Cotterets in 1539 as one of the earliest rulings in any state that a certain single language must be used in official business (and I wasn't the first to say this!) Before that date, you can find lawyers under the Roman Empire talking about which languages can be used for written contracts (two languages only, Latin or Greek) and which languages for verbal contracts and lawsuits (several regional languages of the Empire could be used). You can also find people saying e.g. that Senators ought to be able to speak Latin. But it's really difficult to pin down legal rulings about an official language.

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Constantine Porphygenitus in "De thematibus" indicates that Heraclius and his successors "liked everything Hellenic and scorned their native Roman language" (De thematibus, intro). But this is some kind of abstract reference.

 

Very interesting. Agreed, it's impressionistic, but it seems that all the impressions are tending towards Heraclius for one reason or another!

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Oh and Heraclius was known as "Basiteus" which means king and if more Greek, rather than previous rulers being called "Imperator"

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Oh and Heraclius was known as "Basiteus" which means king and if more Greek, rather than previous rulers being called "Imperator"

 

The term is "Basileus" which means king and is of Greek, (though it has been shown to possibly come from Mycenean culture), and Heraclius was the first Romanion Emperor to assume the title.

 

Interesting enough, Basileus replaced "Augustus" and "Caesar" and Czar, (used by the Rus after thier interactions with Constantinople), would later replace Basileus but all derive around the same name...

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Interesting enough, Basileus replaced "Augustus" and "Caesar" and Czar, (used by the Rus after thier interactions with Constantinople), would later replace Basileus but all derive around the same name....

 

You`re wrong. The titles "Augustus" and "Caesar" never disappeared.

 

See, for an instance, the coins of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus and his son Romanus II

 

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins/12103q00.jpg

 

Pay special attention to the inscription "AVGG" (on reverse) after the names of Constantine and Romanus.

 

"Caesar", it`s usual and well-known Byzantine title.

Edited by Viggen
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"Caesar", it`s usual and well-known Byzantine title.

 

Agreed. In later times it was given to close relatives of the Emperor, maybe a bit like 'Duke of Cornwall/Kent/Gloucester' in modern Britain. The last I can think of right now is Renier of Montferrat (Monferrato) who married Manuel I's daughter Maria in 1180. She was Kaisarissa, he was Kaisar.

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The last I can think of right now is Renier of Montferrat (Monferrato) who married Manuel I's daughter Maria in 1180. She was Kaisarissa, he was Kaisar.

 

:huh: I know Caesars of 13th C - one of them is Caesar John under Michael Paleologus.

 

In later times it was given to close relatives of the Emperor, maybe a bit like 'Duke of Cornwall/Kent/Gloucester' in modern Britain.

 

In my opinion Byzantine Caesar is like modern prime-minister or vice-president.

Edited by Philhellene
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